Police track phone of man who beat, robbed woman in Berwyn

Charles Woodard, 21, of the 1300 block of South Clinton Avenue, was taken into custody at about 12:15 p.m. and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of robbery.

BERWYN – A man who police believe beat a Berwyn woman during a robbery June 3 has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of robbery after he was apprehended after police tracked the woman’s cellphone in Chicago.

Police said Charles Woodard, 21, of the 1300 block of South Clinton Avenue, was taken into custody about 12:15 p.m.

Woodard was with three other people in the alley, and all were asked whether they had cellphones. Woodard had two phones on his person, including one that was identified as belonging to the victim.

The 35-year-old woman said she was walking home from work at a McDonald’s restaurant in Forest Park when she noticed a man following her. The woman said she was in the 1300 block of Oak Park Avenue when the man came, pulled her by her blouse, then punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. The woman sustained a fractured right orbital bone, jaw and right cheekbone, nasal and palate fractures and several teeth fractures.

Woodard told police he had followed the woman, grabbed her and demanded money. The woman said she had none, and Woodard told police he punched her in the face several times, then threw her to the ground, stomped on her head twice, then reached in her pocket and took her cellphone. Woodard said he also took the woman’s umbrella and containers of food.

A resident in the 1300 block of South Oak Park Avenue called police after he heard the woman crying outside.

Police Cmdr. Michael Cimaglia credited Berwyn investigators and the cooperation of Chicago police in the quick apprehension of Woodard.

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